Slay
- “what does slay mean in slang”
- “slay meaning compliment”
- “where does slay come from”
- “what does slay queen mean”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Slay | Ate |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar | Verb, also an exclamation | Past-tense verb |
| Mainstream since | 2010s | 2020s |
| Common extension | "Slay queen" | "Ate and left no crumbs" |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Slay rather than Ate are usually searching for phrases like “what does slay mean in slang”, “slay meaning compliment”, “where does slay come from”.
Ate
- “what does ate mean in slang”
- “ate and left no crumbs meaning”
- “she ate meaning”
- “what does you ate mean”
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortSlay. 1920s — "You slay me" means "you make me laugh hard" (Dictionary.com).
- 1920s
Slay. "You slay me" means "you make me laugh hard" (Dictionary.com).
- 5 February 2023
Ate. Wiktionary's citation for "ate and left no crumbs": Entertainment Weekly on a Saturday Night Live sketch.
04 · The mix-up
Where the confusion comes from
The mix-up“"Ate" is a Gen Z invention.”
What's true
Wiktionary labels it African American Vernacular English and LGBTQ slang, the same communities that gave mainstream English "slay".
05 · Read either one